Faulted circuit indicators (FCIs) may be attached to power lines and used to detect electrical faults in power distribution systems. In general, FCI devices include high current trip devices that display whether a fault has occurred between the indicator and a load. Such devices operate by responding to fluxes generated by currents in a line. Typical FCI devices include current sensors comprising a magnetic core and a surrounding coil winding. To sense the current, the power line functions as a transformer primary and the coil winding functions as a transformer secondary. A microprocessor receives a value corresponding to the sensed current and determines whether the value exceeds a threshold. If so, the microprocessor trips an indicator accordingly.
In particular, the FCI may detect anomalies in the current and/or voltage of the power line signal, and provide an indication of fault to technicians working to isolate the location of a malfunction in the power distribution system. The indication of a detected fault may be provided, for example, in a visual manner using a mechanical indicator (e.g., a magnetically rotated “flag”) and/or an optical indicator (e.g., a blinking Light Emitting Diode (LED), etc.). However, a technician may require a clear line of sight and a close proximity to the FCI in order to reliably observe the visual fault detection indicators “in the field.” In some instances, FCIs also include wireless (i.e., radio frequency) communication capabilities to quickly report the indication of a detected fault to a remote station without the having to be observed in the field by a technician.
Regardless of the manner in which a fault is indicated, operating the indicator mechanism(s) of an FCI in the absence of or in the event of an insufficiency of current flowing though the power line requires the use of a finite external power supply, such as a battery. Accordingly, maximizing the lifespan of such a power supply correspondingly increases the usable life of the FCI.